Abstract: By collecting data from 31 provinces(cities and municipalities) in China and applying the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method, the factors that influence the upgrading of industrial structure is analyzed and the configurations that lead to high or low level of industrial structure are found out. The results show that the configuration of high GDP per capita, high total volume of import and export trade and high level of innovation, as well as the configuration of high level of GDP per capita, high foreign direct investment (FDI) and high level of human resources will result in the upgrading of industrial structure, and meanwhile five configurations will lead to low level of industrial structure. Compared to the past researches, the influence of a configuration rather than a single variable is analyzed; and different paths towards high and low level of industrial structures are pointed out, showing multiple conjunctural causation between the level of industrial structure and its influencing factors; meanwhile, the causal asymmetry is discussed. The method and conclusion can provide reference for further research in this field.

Key words: the upgrading of industrial structure, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), multiple conjunctural causation, asymmetry